Intravenous immunoglobulin in neurological disorders: a mechanistic perspective

J Neurol. 2005 May:252 Suppl 1:I1-6. doi: 10.1007/s00415-005-1102-7.

Abstract

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) has been used in the treatment of primary and secondary antibody deficiencies for over 25 years. It is a safe preparation with no long-term side effects. IVIg was first demonstrated to be effective in autoimmune disorders, two decades ago, in the treatment of acute immune thrombocytopenia. Since then, the therapeutic efficacy of IVIg has been established in Guillain Barré syndrome (GBS), chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), myasthenia gravis (MG), dermatomyositis (DM), Kawasaki syndrome and the prevention of graft-versus-host disease in recipients of allogeneic bone marrow transplants and reported in a large number of other autoimmune and systemic inflammatory conditions.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Autoantibodies / immunology
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Complement System Proteins / physiology
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / administration & dosage
  • Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / pharmacology
  • Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / therapeutic use*
  • Myelin Sheath / physiology
  • Nervous System Diseases / therapy*
  • Receptors, Fc / physiology
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology

Substances

  • Autoantibodies
  • Cytokines
  • Immunoglobulins, Intravenous
  • Receptors, Fc
  • Complement System Proteins